1. Field of Invention
This invention pertains to the art of methods and apparatuses for use in lawn mowers, and more specifically to methods and apparatuses for use with a bail used with an operator present control.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is well known to provide lawn mowers, such as walk-behind lawn mowers, with apparatuses and methods for detecting if the operator is properly positioned with respect to the lawn mower. Such apparatuses are often termed "operator present controls." Typically such operator present controls include a bail which is pivotably connected to the control handle of the lawn mower. The operator is required to hold the bail against the control handle thereby permitting the cutting blades of the mower to rotate. Should the operator release the bail, it is biased to pivot about the control handle thereby disengaging the cutting blades.
It is known in the art to combine a bail with some type of member used to stop the pivoting of the bail when the operator has released it. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,805,386 discloses a bail stop that includes a clip for fastening to the bail. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,261,214 discloses a bail pivot stop that snap fits to the associated bail. All such bail stops are purportedly effective in stopping the pivoting motion of the bail. However, all such bail stops are separate pieces requiring separate manufacture and increased assembly during the manufacturing process. Thus, separate bail stops become expensive additions in the lawn mower art.
The improved bail of this present invention does not require a separate bail stop. Therefore, the problems mentioned above are reduced in ways that are simple and efficient while providing better and more advantageous results.